Edisto Stranger

The Edisto Island Mysteries #4

by C. Hope Clark

A cold case heats up . . .

A dead man in Big Bay Creek, spring break, and a rogue FBI agent would be enough to drive Chief Callie Jean Morgan to drink . . . if she hadn't already quietly crawled inside a bottle of gin to drown her sorrows over a life ripped apart by too many losses.

When her investigation into the stranger’s death heats up an unsolved abduction case, Callie finds herself pitted against the town council, her son, the agent, and even the raucous college kids enjoying idyllic Edisto Beach.

Amidst it all, Callie must find a way to reconcile her grief and her precious taste for gin before anyone else is killed.

Genres: Mystery, Southern, Fiction

270 pages, Paperback

Published May 26, 2017

About the author

C. Hope Clark was born and reared in the South, from Mississippi to South Carolina with a few stints in Alabama and Georgia. The granddaughter of a Mississippi cotton farmer, Hope holds a B.S. in Agriculture with honors from Clemson University and 25 years’ experience with the U. S. Department of Agriculture to include awards for her management, all of which enable her to talk the talk of Carolina Slade, the protagonist in most of her novels. Her love of writing, however, carried her up the ranks to the ability to retire young, and she left USDA to pen her stories and freelance.

Lowcountry Bribe‘s won several awards to include finalist status of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense sponsored by Romance Writers of America. The novel enjoyed semi-finalist status (top 100 out of 10,000) in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. The book went on to win the Silver Falchion Award for Crime Fiction twice and the EPIC E-book Award for Best Mystery three times.

Her books cover three mystery series in the Carolina Slade Mysteries, the Edisto Island Mysteries, and the Craven County Mysteries.

Hope is married to a 30-year veteran of federal law enforcement, a Senior Special Agent, now a contract investigator. They met on a bribery investigation within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the basis for the opening scene to Lowcountry Bribe. Hope and her special agent live on the rural banks of Lake Murray outside of Chapin, South Carolina, forever spinning tales on their back porch, bourbon and coke in hand, when not tending a loveable flock of hens.

She also currently manages FundsforWriters.com, a weekly newsletter service she founded that reaches 28,000 writers to include university professors, professional journalists and published mystery authors. Writer’s Digest has recognized the site in its annual 101 Best Web Sites for Writers for two dozen years.

She’s published in The Writer Magazine, Writer’s Digest, and other trade and online publications. She speaks at writers’ conferences, book clubs, libraries and more, and has taught many webinars for the Writer's Digest University world. Hope is a member of Mystery Writers of America.

Reviews

[Cindy Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure I wanted to read another Edisto Mystery after one of my favorite characters died in the last one. But I am so glad I did. C Hope Clark takes all the grief from the death of Mike Seabrook and brings to the reader a broken woman who presses on to solve two cases. Spring Break on the beach isn’t the best time to have a murder to solve. Add to that Chief Callie Morgan’s college-age son bringing some friends home for spring break. Both interrupting her spiral of grief into a gin bottle. It’s already bad enough the whole island is in her business.
This well-written, attention grabbing story kept me engaged and putting the clues together right along with Callie. I cheered her courage and her willingness to own her weaknesses. Watching her struggle to get back in the crime fighting game and learn to be the parent of an adult made this not just a who-done-it read. I loved watching this female chief of police work to separate her law enforcement persona from her mom persona. Callie is a wonderfully real character that even straight-laced readers like me can rally around.
Usually I can solve a mystery just before the final reveal. Not so in this case. The ending of this book left me satisfied. If there is never another Edisto Mystery I can live with that because Callie has matured beyond the person she was in the first novel. Change is what I love to see in characters in a series. However, I’d be the first in line to buy the next Edisto Mystery and work alon side Callie to solve another crime.

[Michanne Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth in the Edisto Island Mysteries, Edisto Stranger is the best of C. Hope Clark yet! I was so excited the day I got it, but refused to begin, though it nearly killed me. I knew I didn't have sufficient time to spend reading, and I've learned from experience, one does not casually read a C. Hope Clark book. She starts full speed and never slows down, EVER. I mentioned to her once that I wish she'd at least slow down occasionally for the sake of my bladder. She immediately replied, “LOL - don't like slow parts”.

As excited as I was for Edisto Stranger, my emotions were still a little raw from how the last one ended. I finished Echoes of Edisto furious at Clark for making me sob; simultaneously hating her and in awe of her brilliance, and guts. She had to know her readers were not going to be happy with her choice. She did it anyway. It is the essence of C Hope Clark. She is going to grab your hand and hold on tight while she whips you through emotions, adventures, and a cast of characters as real as those in your daily life. She is not going to sugar-coat anything and she is going to bare her heart to the point your own will break as you feel her pain. You are going to want to hug her and slap her and hang out with her …

WAIT! Am I describing C Hope herself OR Chief Callie Jean Morgan, her Edisto heroine? I suspect a little of both.

In Edisto Stranger, Callie hasn't quite gotten her feet back under her from her whirlwind past and having had so much torn from her, there doesn't seem to be enough left of her heart to try and patch back together. The gin she tries to fill the holes with does nothing but seep through the tatters, leaving her a hot mess on the inside. She puts up a brave front for the public who are scrutinizing her every move to see if she can handle being at the helm of their idyllic island home. Only those closest to her – her son, her soul sister best friend, Sophie, a couple of her officers, and her ex-boss, Stan, know she is falling apart and she needs a case to get her mind off the past, heart out of the bottle and her whole self back into the swing of life, as well as the career she loves. In a jaded way, the murdered FBI retiree floated up at just the right, or most terribly wrong time, possible.

Murder, missing/abducted kids, cold cases, FBI, college kids partying on the beach over spring break, cut-throat, small-town, southern politics, as well as totally unexpected twists and turns – rest assured, C Hope doesn't like slow parts.

[Lee Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if you have never read a book in the Edisto Island Mystery series you can read Edisto Stranger, the fourth book in this series, and feel like an old familiar friend. You quickly learn of Chief Callie Morgan and her many struggles. As a relatively new Chief to Edisto she has gained a nemesis in Councilman Brice LeGrand, whom lingers as the weaselly pest he is throughout the book. She also continues to struggle with the past deaths of two officers in which she played a part in and was romantically involved with one. The return home for spring break by her son Jeb stirs up an uneasiness in their relationship and mixes with her professional life, leaving her to question herself on many levels as a parent, Chief, and person. Amongst all of her struggles Chief Morgan must solve the mystery of an FBI agent’s body that has shown up in the creek of her small South Carolina beach. And if that isn’t enough we must struggle along with her as she continues to let alcohol burden her relationships and perhaps her career.

C. Hope Clark’s ability to build characters is phenomenal. She does a great job of reintroducing already known characters from the first three books in a way that you know who they are and what they have done, while introducing new characters with a vivid image and a keen sense of personality. Edisto Stranger has many new characters involved in the investigation and a handful of familiar faces and I feel if Clark wasn’t so well versed in character development the reader could become easily confused. I never forgot who a character was or what they looked like. The introduction of FBI agent Knox Kendrick is a prime example of making you feel like you are right in the room with Chief Morgan. “The man was her age. A jaw not nearly as chiseled as his name. Jet-black hair with enough of a wave to warrant attention in his grooming. Tall but under six foot. No suit…” (p.23) The description stays with you.

An intriguing piece to Edisto Stranger is that as Callie and Knox struggle to work together for the sake of solving the FBI agent’s death they also stumble upon a 17 year old case that they must figure out how to handle and not allow it to throw them off coarse with their initial investigation. Chief Morgan shows her struggle of allowing anyone else in with Knox and you soon see they both battle with being open and honest with people. They must find a way to make the case come first so a killer doesn’t remain free.

Throughout the book Clark pokes in just enough of the setting to make you feel like you have been there. The brief mention of the night breeze or the description of the trees with mossy hangings is enough to familiarize yourself. Next thing you know she throws in something reminding you this area is known to few. “Edisto Beach existed at the end of the long highway known as 174, dead ending in the Atlantic. You either came here on purpose or you didn’t come.”(p.12)

I found myself feeling like a friend of Chief Morgan’s, wanting to grab a coffee and talk about the past that haunts her and offer advise in a friendly manner on getting help with her drinking. Finding another avenue to vent her frustration and hurt on. Not allowing alcohol to come between her and her son, work, or new relationships on her horizon.

I really enjoyed Edisto Stranger and I am now a bigger fan of C. Hope Clark than I already was. I can’t wait to peer in on the next Edisto Island Mystery and hopefully witness Mr. Brice LeGrand getting what he deserves!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading the Edisto series! With that being said, you can read the books out of order, but I would start with the first one so you can follow the story line. A lot of the same characters are in each book.

I Love going back to this sleepy beach town to solve a murder. A man is found floating in the creek by Callie’s own son. Callie has been through so much in this series, it’s no wonder she drinks! The man is identified as a retired FBI agent. Why was he in Edisto? What was he doing? Callie has a lot of questions/problems to solve and she really gets no help. When rouge FBI agent Knox Kendrick shows up, Callie thinks she has found someone who can help solve the mystery. Little did she know, Knox has been reporting back to a town council member Brice who is out to get Callie fired. Knox is a friend of the deceased and is personally involved in the case. But, what does he really know and how deep is his involvement? Did he kill his old friend? If not, who did and why? Callie’s old friend Stan is MIA and not returning her phone calls. He has always been her support and sounding board. As Callie and Knox delve deeper into the murder, an abduction case comes to light that has been a cold case for years. Pinky (the deceased) had continued to work this case even after his retirement. What had he found in this beachfront community?

Be sure to pick up your copy of the Edisto series. You will not be disappointed in these books. I stayed up late finishing this book and cannot wait for the next one!

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page-Turning, Fast-Paced Southern Mystery

Once again, C. Hope Clark dives straight into the action and doesn't slow down until the final chapter. Callie Jean Morgan's world has been turned upside down and she is on the brink of breakdown when duty calls her back into action.

There are powerful stories behind the action, drama, twists, and turns of this book. It is well organized and fast paced. Clark doles out clues in a timely manner and none of the answers are obvious too soon.

There is a cast of interesting characters that feel like family and friends. You will recognize their struggles as the same things all of us go through from time to time. We lose loved ones. We deal with teenage angst. We send children off to college. We make new friends. We are distanced from long time friends for reasons that aren't obvious right away. We have nosy neighbors. We have people who don't like us because of things in the past that had nothing to do with us. Clark mimics real life in her books in a way that keeps me yearning for more.

Clark's descriptions put readers right into the locations. When Callie walks on the beach to sort her thoughts, I feel sand under my bare feet. I feel the wind off the water. I hear the surf rolling in and out. I feel the solitude of the moment in spite of the people around her.

This would be a great weekend read. Any book in this series could be a stand-alone mystery, but I do not recommend that. The depth of the main characters relies on the series.

I look forward to continuing this series.

[Melissa Meske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edisto Stranger

A 2017 murder mystery by C. Hope Clark and published by Bell Bridge Books, Edisto Stranger has a timely storyline, reminiscent in some ways of the real-life abduction story of Elizabeth Smart back in 2002. Clark’s victim, however, is taken at a much younger age and grows to young adulthood before knowing of her real story.

Edisto Beach Police Chief Callie Morgan, still recovering after tragedy strikes her heart again, seeks solace as usual at the bottom of a bottle or glass in this fourth book of the Edisto series. This is something that, by the book’s end, is hopefully the one weakness Callie will soon overcome. And hopefully before her son Jeb develops his own.

Maternal instincts kick in repeatedly as you turn the page, and it’s good to read that Jeb is alive and well—and still with Sprite—at the end of the final chapter. Other characters in the book roll out somewhat predictably as the story moves forward and Callie works to solve the latest murder on the beach.

Overall, I enjoyed the storyline and the development of each character as their lives interplayed. But admittedly, I left the last page ever so slightly disappointed. I found the motive behind “Emma’s” abduction to be a bit tired, and the murderer’s character to be a bit predictable.

All in all, however, I am now left wondering if Callie will have a new role, with or within the FBI.

Given to me as an advance review copy by the author, I give Edisto Stranger 4 out of 5 stars.

[Skye Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a great book that keeps me reading into the wee hours of the night, and Edisto Stranger is one of the best. I’ve enjoyed all the Callie Morgan stories and this one did not disappoint. My heart was almost as broken as Callie’s at the start of this tale over things that happened in book three, but her job called her back from the brink and gave her a new sense of purpose. As she plunged herself into solving this new death on her beloved Edisto Island, she kept me turning pages, unable to put the book down. You can almost smell the salt air and atmosphere of this place and the characters are compelling. From the heroine herself, to the young cop on her force, to the enigmatic FBI agent, to Brice and Jeb, you feel like you know these people and feel their pain, frustrations, insecurities and hopes. Then there is the supporting cast of colorful neighbors and townsfolk. The mystery has lots of twists and turns you won’t expect and others you’ll be shaking your head thinking, I should have seen that coming! A good man is dead and justice must be done, but the ending will leave you torn, injustices from long ago will make you sad, but Callie’s triumph will give you hope. I enjoyed the changing relationships that feel so real: with her young adult son home from his first semester in college, with Rayson and Thomas and even with Stan. I’m definitely looking forward to the next Callie Morgan/Edisto Island mystery.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the fourth book of C. Hope Clark's Edisto Island Mysteries, Edisto Island police chief Callie Morgan is in deep water again.

There's a guy on the city council who wants her gone. She still is in mourning for her lover, killed in the line of duty. And she's drinking again. (As smart as she is, Callie is unwilling or unable to connect the dots where alcohol is concerned.)

Then her phone rings. Her son Jeb, home from college on spring break, has found a floater in the estuary while kayaking with his girlfriend. When Callie learns that the dead man is a recently retired FBI agent, we're off to the races again.

In the lively carnival atmosphere that is Edisto Island during spring break, vacationing college students mingle with locals and blur the landscape. Callie has two college boys her son met on the beach camping in her house, plus Jeb is after her about her drinking. The suspicious FBI guy who shows up to investigate the victim's death is not the sort who inspires Callie's confidence. And the plot is further complicated when we learn that the dead man was hired to look for a girl who was stolen from her family as a baby.

Nothing is as it seems during this crazy time on the island. Edisto Stranger is a solidly paced, layered mystery liberally laced with secrets, lies, and betrayals. I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

[Matt Jerdan · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing Echoes of Edisto, I was interested to see where C. Hope Clark took Callie on her continued road to recovery in her ever-present acclimation to being a full time Edisto Island resident and police chief. In typical, complicated Callie Morgan fashion, Edisto Stranger opens with her juggling the struggles of personal loss, Edisto Island's small town politics, its power-players, her son stumbling across a fresh body, and the constant desire for the just-out-of-reach drink or two.

Taking place over Spring Break, Edisto Stranger allows for the opportunity to step out of the shadow of its usual cast of characters and explore some new, younger faces. The book's title cleverly describes the new victim, FBI contact, neighbors, and Jeb's circle of friends in one fell swoop. The plot's pace does have a different feel than other Callie books but I thought it was appropriate and expected, given the turn of events in Callie's life up to this point.

I'm very excited to see Callie continue her journey and hopefully catch a personal win to accompany her many professional accomplishments in the stories to come. It's always a delight to return to one of C. Hope Clark's books and continue to explore the charm of Edisto Island's residents.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edisto Stranger is the fourth book in the Edisto Island Mysteries. I will say up front you don't need to read the previous books in the series to enjoy this story but you'll want to. It's that good. It continues the story of a female police chief in a beach town with colorful residents who put up with vacationers invading their beaches. This time, her son and his girlfriend discover a body in the water so the investigation begins. Police Chief Callie Morgan is one tough woman with her own set of scars and personal foils. Abhorring the loss of life but at an all time low, this murder is just what she needs to get herself together before she loses her job to alcohol and grief.

As Callie searches for the killer, she finds out the victim is a retired FBI agent who was in the area working on a seventeen year old abduction case of a small child. The appearance of another FBI agent and a venomous town councilman make her life more stressful. I won't spoil the ending other than to say I enjoyed the way she wrapped up both cases. If you like murder mysteries, this is the book for you.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all of Hope's books and this 4th in the series about the beach at Edisto and my favorite police chief, Callie, didn't disappoint. Callie can find adventure and mystery even in a small beachfront community where "just nothing" is ever supposed to happen. Hope's plotting is great, you don't want to put the book down even if you have chores or kids or need to sleep. Her characters are so easy to care for and they just as easily become part of the tapestry of inspiration and living. Callie shares with us (the readers) here worldly weaknesses and inner strengths. She's very human and we love that in great characters. The adventure moves swiftly. It's a page-turner. Where would we be without reading? Not very far without Hope along, that's for sure. Once again, I feel as though I've actually been to Edisto and I absolutely want to go there again. So, a good thing the next book in the series is out soon. We do a lot of reading in the summer here in Phoenix, so I've pre-ordered it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this mystery down. The storyline runs so freely and keeps you in the dark or changing your guess as to who done it until the end.
I live in South Carolina but have never visited Edisto island. Clark’s description of the sounds and smells transported me to the ocean and her beloved Edisto.
I will say that I think she has met a good friend of mine and based Sophie on her. Such a great description to bring a fun friend to mind. And Callie reminded me of a young lady cop I know. Kept me connected even more to the storyline.
Clark’s style does not leave you wondering who a character is that has not been mentioned since ten chapters back. I want to read, not do research.
I was glad to see Clark didn’t write her characters voices in the southern drawl style. To me that distracts from the intent of the story.
Thank you C hope Clark for writing such a wonderful, intriguing, easy to read mystery novel.

[Pandora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edisto Stranger by C. Hope Clark was such a pleasure to read. Once again, Callie is pulled into an intriguing plot as she tries to adjust her emotional well-being and settle herself as a permanent Edisto resident. I really liked her progression as a character in the books. Despite what she's been through, she remains very strong through everything and manages to solve the case. I liked the new man with a badge in the picture, although we probably won't see what will come of that until later on, he added a good, solid element to the story. I think it got a little slow toward the end, the side plot fizzled out a bit for me, but the beginning and the end was very well done. I love this series. I think Clark really knows how to describe a scene and give you a place right on the beach...I recommend this to anyone who likes mystery, intrigue, action, strong female leads, and something that will keep you turning the pages.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edisto Stranger is the 4th Edisto Island Mysteries by C. Hope Clark. I have read the 3 earlier books in the series and enjoyed them all.

Callie is grieving and has buried herself in a bottle of gin. And a body is found by her son Jeb and his friend Sprite who turns out to be a retired FBI investigator. The investigator was obsessed with finding a young girl who was kidnapped. He had an important lead to investigate on Edisto. Did he get to close to the truth?

A very interesting story revolving around the young people on Edisto for Spring Break. Could one of the young people on the island be the missing girl?

Callie has help from an FBI agent to solve the mystery. I enjoyed the story and the setting. The writing is excellent. Hopefully Callie gets some help for her drinking before the next book.

Great series!

[Martha Bode · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK mystery set at local beach so that’s fun. Police chief Captain Callie Morgan has to solve the mystery of a body found in the water, and complications arise with the local town council, an FBI agent, spring breakers, and her drinking. The plot involving a cold case definitely gets a bit convoluted. This is 4th in a series, and I typically don’t jump into the middle of a set - but this was a ‘date with a blind book’ that I checked out from the library so I committed :) Several reviews said that this one would be fine to read standalone, but this author references past events and people quite frequently - it was not a detriment, but I feel like I missed out on the background of the characters. Would recommend starting at the beginning of the series.

[Caleb Wygal · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Edisto Stranger, Clark picks up on the life of Edisto police Chief Callie Jean Morgan where her previous novel Echoes of Edisto ends. That novel in particular was one of the best novels I read in 2016. This one grabs you from the start as Callie continues to cope with the consequences from Echoes of Edisto. While I didn't find Edisto Stranger as captivating as its predecessor, I did enjoy the mystery, the surprises, and the characters inhabiting Edisto Island. I suggest you grab a beach chair, your beverage of choice, and plant yourself in the sand somewhere with this book. This is a great beach read.

[Forest]

I love mysteries where I can’t guess ‘whodunit’ until the reveal, and C. Hope Clark is one of the few authors who can do that for me. Her books are well-plotted, tense, and filled with 3D characters, which all have problems and motivations of their own.

The excitement in the first chapter pulled me in. Callie is the police chief of small town Edisto Beach, and in the middle of an argumentative town council meeting, her son Jeb, who’s kayaking with his girlfriend, finds a dead body floating in the creek. The body turns out to be a retired FBI agent. From that splashy opening, the momentum keeps building.

Well written, and difficult to put down!

[J.Q. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost feel like I know Chief Callie Morgan because Ms. Clark gives us such insight on Callie's history and inner emotions. And I care about her. I wanted to shake her when she grabbed the gin bottle. I wanted to help her sort out the relationship with her son, and I wanted to comfort her in her grief. The search for the murderer was complicated with so many suspects that I didn't figure out who the culprit was until the reveal. And that's the way I like it. If you want to care about the characters and work on the puzzle for finding the guilty, then this book is for you. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I have a house on Edisto, I wondered what this series would be like. I was relieved to find it was not a cozy mystery and it does not get Edisto "wrong" other than being a little more exciting (and even gritty) than I suspect law enforcement ever is on Edisto Beach! I found the threads of fiction about a dead PI and a stolen child were woven very well within the factual cloth of this little SC sea island and its terrain. I would recommend starting earlier in the series than I did, as there is a lot of back story leading into this one (although the author did a good job of leading me through it and I was able to enjoy the book anyway).

[George Newport · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another in the Edisto Island series. Edisto is a real island. Callie Jean Morgan is the Chief of Police. The Town Council is overloaded with male chauvinist pigs. A man is murdered. This will effect their tourist rating. Callie has to solve this mystery yesterday. They have a small police department. She has already has too much loss in her life. Read the whole series. You are missing out on a great writer in C Hope Clark. She also has her Carolina Slade series. Only Jessica Fletcher has killed more people than C Hope Clark's books.

[Laurisa Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to read this after the previous book killed off a favorite character of mine. Wasn't sure what to expect. But this installment in the series was just as satisfying as the rest. Kept my mind whirling, trying to keep all the details straight and see if I could figure out the whodunnit. Callie Morgan remains an accessible and realistic heroine. I like that she has flaws but that she always tries to do the right thing. Looking forward to reading the next two books in the series. I need to catch up!

[Stephen Terrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all of Hope Clark's Edisto Island Mysteries, but Edisto Stranger, the fourth in the series, is the most complexly plotted and overall satisfying mystery in the series so far.

It's college spring break on South Carolina's Edisto Island, and Edisto Island Police Chief Callie Jean Morgan is dealing with the issues of drinking and partying when her son stumbles upon a floating dead body that turns out to be a retired FBI agent. One of the dead man's FBI agent buddies takes a vacation to help Callie solve the retired agent's murder. But along the way, they stumble onto the 16-year-old case of a kidnapped girl that the retired agent was investigating, and slowly it becomes clear that the two cases are intertwined.

In the mean time, the head of the local City Council has his eyes set on ousting Callie from her job. The stress of the death of two of Callie's officers, one her lover, has driven Callie to drinking way too much, giving the counselor more ammunition for his campaign to fire Callie.

It a fast paced, multi-faceted mystery that moves at a rapid pace toward an unseen conclusion. Even if you haven't read any of the first three novels in the series, this one is a MUST READ.

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this latest addition to the series. Great progression of the characters. There are references to past books and incidents that help put things in perspective, but this can be read as a stand alone. Of course, once you do, you will want to go back to read the previous three books. All have lots of heart, excitement and suspense. Eagerly awaiting #5. The book was provided via NetGalley for my voluntary review.

[Bobbie Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still mourning the loss of her law partner and lover, Callie must prove to the town, her family, friends and herself that she can rise above grief and alcohol and still do what she does best. And does she ever!
Another riveting whodunit by Hope C. Clark! Adding JUST enough from her past books to add some clarity to some facts but not so much that it loses a newcomer, this book keeps you going from the first page. Murder, kidnapping, teenage attitude, small town bureaucracy….this book has it all.

[Loralee Lillibridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better and better!

Real people. That's what the characters in this series become through each book. For me, Edisto Stranger is the most intensely plotted so far. The characterization delved deeper as more and more emotions were revealed. I felt Callie's pain. I became invested in the lives of each character as if they were personal friends. I can't recommend this current book in the series highly enough.

[Rebecca Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series. It was a real emotional roller coaster between hope, loss, and pain. This is the last book in the series and it did an excellent job of wrapping everything up in a realistic way. Ms. Clark is excellent at keeping her stories about real people and their challenges. It is not all fantasy and about happy endings. Callie Morgan's journey was all about healing and moving forward despite life's obstacles and being true to yourself in the process.

[Tomi L. Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only recently really got into mysteries, and C. Hope Clark is one main reason why. Her characters are deliciously, realistically flawed in many ways I deeply identified with. Besides being brilliant mysteries - plot twists and red herrings abound - this is a very literary series. Her talent with dialogue is to be admired. These books are fun, intelligent and pure enjoyment. Hope is a luminous example of the craft.

[Sandra Goff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked on this series from my first read and C.Hope Clark does not disappoint. Even if you haven't read any other book in the series you can follow.
Struggling with being a borderline alcoholic, still grieving for her lost love is enough pain for any one woman. Now add to this the Stress of being Chief of police in a spring break destination with a town council hell bent on destroying you and you have Callie Morgan. As if these stressors are not enough add to the mix Murder, Kidnapping and a not so loyal FBI agent and you have the making of one of the best mysteries I have ever read. There is no predicting the outcome. Clark has done an excellent job in keeping the reader immersed in the storyline and wanting more. Cannot wait to see what else she has in store. So if you haven't yet please read Edisto stranger you wont be disappointed.

[Nancy Quatrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard Hitting Chase

Murder, kidnapping, and family dysfunction in staggering amounts batter an already grieving and struggling female police chief. Toss in a small-minded and vengeful town council President and college spring break and the cocktail for a powerful and emotional mystery read is perfect. Worth reading!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so enjoyed the entire series of Carolina Slade as well as Edisto mysteries series. The characters are intriguing and believable. I have enjoyed them so much that I have read both complete series In the past 6 weeks! Being a South Carolina girl, I can truly relate to the locale of each book. I am mesmerized by these storylines and anxiously await the publishing of each new book!